Alternatives to the Vancouver Hackspace.

Vancouver Hackspace (VHS) use to be a place where people could ask questions and get help with their projects while helping out others. Now new people asking questions, at best, get ignored and worst ridiculed. Between the years of 2015-2016 the Vancouver Hackspace the board of directors ( names removed ) as well as a few other members ( names removed ) created a toxic environment that destroyed the existing community that took years to create.

Good, energetic, people will succeed anywhere. VHS is a handicap that prevents even good people from achieving success. Your projects will wither and die at VHS.

I used to have pride in being a VHS member, but now I am ashamed to have been a part of that group.

The Egg Arts Foundation - The Egg Arts Foundation. TheEgg art incubator is a year-round interactive art workshop and gathering place for the Vancouver Burning Man community. 5,000 sq ft studio has a wide variety of tools, technology, and fun distractions - a great place to build your art project, host a fundraiser, or have a meeting. TheEgg is volunteer-driven and free for everyone.

VPL Inspiration Lab - It’s a digital media lab at VPL’s central library downtown: a free place that combines traditional, digital and new media in a custom-built space dedicated to digital creativity, collaboration and storytelling. It features high-performance computers, analog-to-digital conversion, sound studios, video editing and self-publishing software. And all for free.

ICOAAT - The International Centre of Arts and Technology provider workshops and talks on various topics. 1012 – 207 West Hastings Street,

Terminal City Glass co-op - Provides access to high-quality glassmaking equipment and resources for the artistic development of emerging and established artists; to offer an educational glass program for the public in efforts to encourage awareness of glass as an art medium; to engage the community through events that promote glass as an art form. , , .

EatArt - Energy Awareness Through ART fosters art research with a focus on large-scale, technically sophisticated art by supporting both independent and internal art projects. We use art to educate people about the role energy plays in our lives and to raise questions about the social and environmental impact of energy use. ,

The Arts Factory - at 281 Industrial Avenue is a mixed-use arts facility in a transformed warehouse. This cultural hub includes 21,000 square feet of workshops, studios, offices and common spaces. ,

Events

Vancouver Mini Maker Faire - One Giant show and tell for the Maker and Hacker community. One of my favorite events of the year. , ,

Pecha Kucha Vancouver - PechaKucha is a global series of live events held worldwide where people can meet, inspire and get inspired, based on a format that is fast-paced and fun. Twelve inspiring minds will be giving a unique insight into their latest work and ideas in 20 slides x 20 seconds. ,

Meetups

The Open Science Network - YVR DIYbio is is a community in which burgeoning biological engineers can come together to learn and share ideas, bringing back that enthusiasm for science we experienced as kids. DIYbio promotes the responsible and safe practice of scientific techniques.

Creative Mornings - A series of talks about creative things and things that effect your life. ,

OpenDataBC-Vancouver - OpenDataBC is a collaborative effort by a group of B.C. residents to explore, promote and create value with open data and related technologies.

Ideas Meetings - Vancouver - A social group who tries to help each other make our ideas happen. You can be any age, ethnicity, and identify as any gender, you just have to be willing to contribute constructively. ,

Polyglot Vancouver - Polyglot Vancouver’s mission is to bring together software engineers, computer scientists, system administrators, or whatever title you choose. We strive to be inclusive, diverse and bullshit-free.

Startup Drinks Van - Startup Drinks is a casual gathering at the end of each month for anyone who’s interested in startups. We meet at a bar in downtown Vancouver and we chat about all things #startups…projects, funding, challenges, and people in the scene. Meetup page.

Repair Matters - Repair Matters is a Vancouver-based initiative that empowers people to take part in repair and creative problem solving. Our aim is to bring people with different skill sets and experiences together, ranging from novices to experts, to share knowledge and collectively troubleshoot repair solutions.

Vancouver Fix-It Collective - Everything has a deep story. When we engage in the throw-away lifestyle, those stories cannot be told. By fixing, we can continue to tell those stories, and pass items down through generations and have those stories told well beyond our time. By fixing we also learn, empower each other, and come together to build resilient communities. , ,

Nerd Nite Vancouver - Nerd! Nerd Nite is an event which is currently held in over 60 cities worldwide! The formula for each Nerd Nite is pretty standard – 20 minute presentations from three presenters each night, in a laid-back environment with lots to learn, and lots to drink!

Vancouver Design Nerds - Founded in 2004, the Vancouver Design Nerds Society (VDNS) exist to facilitate, promote and support positive social, environmental and urban transformation by providing a platform for face-to-face creative collaboration.

Accelerators/co-working spaces

Creative Coworkers - Creative Coworkers is a non-profit collective of (mostly) creative professionals with the desire to share space and amenities, and build a community together. 343 Railway St, Vancouver, BC ,

The Hive - Community hub for social impact. Coworking, Events, Support Services, hotdesk, etc..

Launch Academy - Education and mentorship in a collaborative environment

Electronic components

Mouser - Similar to Digikey, but ship from the US (taking an extra day usually). ,

Newark element14 - Similar to Digikey and Mouser, but slower and more expensive shipping. ,

Arrow Electronics - Similar to Digikey and Mouser. Arrow Electronics is a global provider of products, services, and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions. ,